Anderson Cooper's Net Worth Is Impressive, but His Son May Not Inherit Any of It
Published Sept. 28 2021, 4:00 p.m. ET
After getting his first major network position with ABC in 1995, Anderson Cooper went on to become one of the most prominent faces in mainstream journalism today. Whether it be through hosting his namesake show Anderson Cooper 360, reporting on the ground in war-torn regions, or moderating presidential debates, Anderson has solidified himself as a powerful figure in the world of current events.
Anderson comes from a very wealthy family, but he has also built a massive fortune of his own through successful endeavors over the last three decades. So, what exactly is Anderson's net worth, and what does he plan to do with all of his money when he's no longer here? Keep reading for all of the known details.
What is Anderson Cooper's net worth? He has made millions as a journalist and television personality.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Anderson is worth a reported $200 million, a massive sum of money. This is largely attributed to the various jobs he has held on television throughout his career, as well as authoring three books. For his current job as host of Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, he makes a reported $12 million a year.
Anderson comes from a lineage of hyper-wealthy individuals. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was heir to the massive Vanderbilt fortune, accrued initially by her great-great-grandfather, shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. At the time of Cornelius's death, he had a net worth of roughly $185 billion (adjusted to today's currency). That valuation made Cornelius one of the 10 wealthiest people of all time.
However, Anderson did not see any of his family's remaining wealth transferred to him. Gloria insisted that he and his three siblings make their own way as adults, and once their college tuitions were paid off they were left on their own financially. Of course, in the long run, this didn't hinder Anderson, as his successful career made him independently wealthy and one of the highest-paid newscasters in the U.S.
Now Anderson is following in his mother's footsteps, claiming that his son will not inherit his fortune when he dies.
During a Sept. 25, 2021, episode of Air Mail’s Morning Meeting podcast, the journalist explained that he plans to take a page from his mother's book and opt to not allow his son, Wyatt, to inherit his sizable fortune.
While speaking about his most recent book, Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, Anderson reflected on the enormous wealth his mother's family had and how she largely kept him and his siblings away from the remnants of it.
"I don’t believe in passing on huge amounts of money. I don’t know what I’ll have," Anderson told podcast hosts Ashley Baker and Michael Hainey, talking about the negative effects that the Vanderbilt fortune had on the family members that came before him. "I’m not that interested in money, but I don’t intend to have some sort of pot of gold for my son."
He clarified his comment further by quoting his mother's stance on inheritance, saying "College will be paid for, and then you gotta get on it."
The hosts then asked Anderson if he was afraid of losing his fortune, much like the vast majority of the Vanderbilt family fortune was lost over the years. To that, he replied, "No, because I grew up watching money being lost and knowing it was being lost and I from a very young age, I was very aware of, 'This is not me. This is something my mom has, or this is money that my mom has but it’s not money I’m going to have and I need to forge my own way.'"
Although he made it clear that the money would not be going to Wyatt, Anderson did not specify exactly who or what would receive his millions of dollars when he eventually passes away. He is far from the first mega-rich celebrity to make a statement against inheritance, however, as the likes of Marie Osmond, Bill Gates, Elton John, and other big names have all expressed similar sentiments over the last few years.
Back in 2014, Anderson spoke with Howard Stern during their interview about the disassociation he has always felt from the Vanderbilt fortune that preceded him. He said at the time, "My mom's made it clear to me that, like, there's no trust fund. There's none of that."
Gloria passed away in 2019 at 95 years old, and it's clear that Anderson has taken her financial mantra to heart and now translated the notion into his own life as a father.